Panelists Debate Theology, Agree on Evangelism

As a lifelong Southern Baptist, it thrills my soul to see our previously exceedingly contentious denomination:

1. Debate theology in a deep and meaningful way, but thoroughly within the bounds of our Lord’s revealed Word.

2. Specifically, debate Calvinism in a serious yet entirely affirming and friendly way. This is an issue many expected to rip the Convention apart, and Calvinistic denominations have a history of ripping themselves and each other apart. Seeing happy friendly Calvinists and happy friendly not-Calvinists being happy and friendly toward each other now for a period of many years is beyond refreshing: it’s something of a miracle. It’s also one of the main reasons R.C. Sproul said the future of American Calvinism is in the SBC.

3. Above all, it’s just glorious to see all of these people united in their love for their brothers and sisters who need Christ. Because all of this is just hooey apart from our precious Lord.

Are there exceptions? Duh. But leaders set the tone, and this is where our leaders are today. — RDM

Panelists Debate Theology, Agree on Evangelism

BALTIMORE (BP) — Participants in a panel discussion held during the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Baltimore shared their disagreements concerning theology and evangelism, but agreed about the urgency to evangelize.

The breakfast meeting was sponsored by The Gospel Project, a LifeWay curriculum series, and drew more than 500 people for an honest and spirited discussion about how differing views of salvation impact the way Christians do ministry and mission.

Ed Stetzer, general editor of The Gospel Project, hosted the panel discussion on soteriology entitled “Salvation and the Mission of God.”

He started the conversation by asking Frank Page, president and CEO of the SBC Executive Committee, about his book, “The Trouble with the TULIP,” which warns that too much Calvinism is bad for evangelism.

Page said he especially worries about the concept of “irresistible grace,” the idea that God compels some people to accept the Gospel. Taken to an extreme, Page said, that concept could lead Christians to believe that sharing Christ doesn’t matter.

“I do believe there is an extremism that kills passion for evangelism,” he said at the June 10 meeting.

During the discussion, Page was asked if the rise of Calvinism among Southern Baptists was to blame for the ongoing decline in baptisms. Page said no. Instead, he said, Baptists of all theological stripes seem to have less enthusiasm for sharing the Gospel.

He pointed to the Crossover Baltimore event, an evangelistic outreach held on June 8, before the SBC annual meeting. Page said he watched to see how many of his Calvinist and non-Calvinist friends would participate. Few did, he said.

“I am seeing a lessening of evangelistic passion across the board,” he said. Trevin Wax, managing editor of The Gospel Project, agreed.

Wax said many non-Calvinist Christians practice what he called a “fuzzy inclusivism” by acting as if evangelism isn’t an urgent matter. That can be as problematic as extreme Calvinism, he said. “The result of both those trajectories is no evangelism,” he said.

Panel members didn’t shy away from discussing other hot-button issues. David Platt, senior pastor of The Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, Ala., explained his concerns about the use of the “sinner’s prayer” in evangelism. Platt said the Gospel calls people to repent and believe in Christ. But he voiced concern about reducing salvation to a formula.

Platt said he doesn’t simply proclaim the Gospel in sermons and then watch and see what happens in a passive way. “We are not presenting, preaching and sharing the Gospel if there is not a pleading to respond in faith,” he said. “This is not for information. There is persuasion, there is pleading here.”

Despite the weighty topics, panel members laughed together as they talked, and gave each other some good-natured teasing.

Having healthy conversations about theological differences is important, Stezter said.

“We can all come in here and say, ‘hey we all love each other,’ but there are issues we need to discuss.”

While addressing how God’s sovereignty intersects with human free will, Page told the panel he believes human beings can thwart parts of God’s will, especially when it comes to evangelism. There are consequences, he said, when Christians don’t share the Good News. “I believe there are people in hell today who should not be in hell,” he said.

Platt disagreed, instead stressing the sovereignty of God. “There’s no question — God loves the whole world … at the same time, not everybody is saved,” Platt said.

Wax said panel members were “wrestling with the biblical tension” over doctrines about God’s sovereignty and free will. “We are trying to put together what we mean when we say God is in control and humans are responsible,” he said.

Wax added that his belief in God’s sovereignty makes it easier to evangelize. Sometimes Christians share the Good News out of guilt, he said, or feel entirely responsible for the success or failure of their evangelism

“It’s freeing when you realize the power is not in the presentation and packaging — the power is in the Gospel itself,” he said.

Page emphasized that panel members have compatible but not identical theological views, which means they can cooperate in ministry, even if they don’t always see eye to eye.

One thing they all agreed on is a need for urgency in sharing the Gospel. “At the end of the day, will you come witnessing with me?” Page said.

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